


In The Beginning

by samuelbyrnes



Series: Carving Out A Niche [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alpha Merle Dixon, Alpha Rick Grimes, Alpha Shane Walsh, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Omega Daryl Dixon, Rape/Non-con Elements, Season/Series 01, Shane Being an Asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 15:41:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10857012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samuelbyrnes/pseuds/samuelbyrnes
Summary: A little bit of world-building, if you will. Part of a wider A/B/O 'verse that I'm working on.





	In The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> So, it's been almost ten years since I've actually written/posted anything online. Understandably, I'm a little nervous. For some reason, The Walking Dead fandom has breathed new life into my fic writing, so here I am. I've got some seriously high hopes and expectations for myself concerning this fic/series, so fingers crossed it doesn't Houdini on me.
> 
> Basically, this is me trying to World Build before getting down to the nitty-gritty of the main fic.

Shane was like every other Alpha Daryl had come across: a Grade A Knothead with some seriously outdated ideas about how a Pack should function. Merle was a lot like that, but he'd tried to change that once he realized that his baby brother wasn't an Alpha like him and their Dad. It was rough going, but they functioned well enough, so Daryl couldn't really complain. It wasn't until they stumbled upon the Shane's Pack that they ran into any real trouble. The Alpha had stood before Merle and Daryl, arms crossed and chest out, as if that was enough to get them to submit. He had demanded to know who they were and where they planned on going because, clearly, they weren't staying with Shane and his Pack. Merle had introduced them in his own, cocksure way and started explaining their intentions when Shane cut him off with a growl. Merle's genial attitude vanished and let loose with a growl of his own.  
  
 _"Now, I know no city-slickin' pig didn' just cut me off."_  
  
 _"Maybe I did. Maybe I wanna know why you got an unmated Omega with you."_  
  
 _"That unmated Omega is my baby brother. You best keep your hands off him, else you'll find out what an Alpha like me can do to Alphas like you."_  
  
They had growled and postured for a while after that, saturating the air with their pheromones and attracting others from Shane's Pack. An older Beta by the name of Dale had asked what was going on and frowned at Shane's answer: _"Guy's got an unmated Omega with him; thinks he can keep the Bitch safe now that the world's fallen on it's ass."  
  
_ It had been the wrong thing to say. Merle had lunged at Shane, shouting about how he was going to kill Shane for saying shit about Daryl. They grappled on the ground, neither being able to pin the other down and end the fight. Dale had tried to reason with the two Alphas, but it was obviously not working. Everyone startled when a gunshot went off and all eyes went to another Alpha, the hand holding the gun held high and breathing hard. Shane had shoved Merle off him and stalked up to the other Alpha, who dropped his hand and eyes. Shane got up close, pushing his chest into the other Alpha's. _  
  
"The fuck you doin' shootin' that thing off? You wanna bring walkers up this way?"  
_  
Dale had made a quip that the fighting probably brought them first and hastily backed up a step when Shane shot him a glare. He held up his hands in a placating manner.  
  
 _"I'm just saying. We should probably head back to camp and be ready for the inevitable. A couple extra hands wouldn't go amiss, either."_  
  
Shane had grumbled and eventually conceded, but only if the brothers stayed away from the rest of the Pack unless they were needed. Merle had agreed only on the condition that everyone stay away from his brother.  
  
 _"Touch my baby brother and yer hands ain't ever touchin' anythin' again. You got me?"_  
  
Shane had agreed with only minimal attitude and led them all back to camp. The Alpha had turned to Merle when they were on the outskirts of the camp and pointed to his left, saying they could make their camp there and reiterated that they stay away from the Pack.  
  
 _"Keep it in your pants, Officer. We'll stay away from them so long as they stay away from us."_  
  
Merle had thanked him after that, put a hand on Daryl's shoulder, and steered the Omega away before Shane could say anything else. When they were surrounded by trees, Merle stopped and turned to Daryl, face serious.  
  
 _"You keep away from those people, baby brother. Ain't nothin' ever good comes from a Pack led by an Alpha like that."_  
  
 _"You act like that sometimes."_  
  
 _"I do it to protect ya an' you know it. Alphas like him ain't ever gonna hesitate to pin ya down an' take what they want without ever askin' what you wanna do. So, I'll say it again; stay away from him."_  
  
Daryl had nodded and tilted his head, letting Merle scent him, reaffirming their Pack Bond. They set up camp and went their separate ways; Daryl to hunt and Merle to scope out the area. The arrangement worked for a while, but it soon became obvious that some people in Shane's Pack had an issue with Daryl, specifically his designation as an unmated Omega. Most were under the impression that his unmated status would lure Alphas to the camp and try to overrun it, which posed a safety hazard to the Pack. A few seemed to believe he was there to stir up trouble, to seduce the Alphas and be the Pack Queen or some weird idea like that. Only three seemed to truly worry for Daryl's safety and all three set the Omega's nerves on edge more than the rest. It all came to a head when a small group went into Atlanta for a run, Merle going along with them and they came back without him; in his place was another Alpha. Terror was at the forefront of his mind, but it was rage that consumed him.  
  
 _"The fuck d'you mean you left him behind?"  
  
"It wasn't our intention, but he posed a threat to the group. We had no other choice."  
  
"Fuck that. You people're more a threat than my brother ever was. Bet it was just to get him outta the way to claim me, wasn't it?" Daryl sneered at the group. "Want me all fer yerself, is that it?"  
  
"Daryl..."  
  
"Fuck you, Chinaman. Y'told me he'd be safe, but y'left him behind an' came back with this douchebag instead."  
  
"He's secure where he is, Daryl. We can go back for him if you want."  
  
"Yer damn right I'm goin' back fer him. I ain't leavin' him out there."_  
  
The new Alpha had tried to intervene, reiterating that Merle was a threat, that they left him behind a locked door as if that was enough to stop even the most voracious of walkers. Daryl had lunged for the Alpha, rage and terror clouding his vision, but was tackled and pinned to the ground by Shane. He bucked and howled under the Alpha, managing to draw blood when the Alpha tried marking him. The Alpha had snarled and wrapped a hand around Daryl's neck, gripping tight.  
  
 _"You need to calm the hell down, Omega."  
  
"Don't need to do shit."_  
  
Daryl'd spit in Shane's face then, letting loose a deep growl. Shane had tightened his grip on Daryl's neck, lip curled and eyes challenging. They would've stayed like that until either conceded had Dale not stepped in.  
  
 _"This isn't how we do things. You don't just say to someone you left their Alpha behind, expect them to be happy about that, and then try to force them to submit when they get angry."_  
  
It apparently struck something in Shane that he practically shot off of Daryl and got in Dale's face. Dale shrank back, but ultimately stood his ground.  
  
 _"You got a problem with how I run things, Dale?"  
  
"I'm just saying, he's completely justified in how he feels, and you had no right to force yourself on him like that."  
  
"I had the only right."  
  
"He's not Pack, Shane; you're not his Alpha."  
  
"Not yet."  
  
_In the end, they did try to go back for Merle, but the Alpha was gone by the time they got there. Daryl had tried to keep his composure, but he couldn't help the distressed keening at the sight of his Alpha's sawn-off hand and subsequent trail of blood. The vice in his chest loosened a bit when they discovered he managed to escape and was probably on his way back to camp to enact some revenge on the people who left him behind. The Omega had wanted to go back immediately, but they got waylaid by a group wanting the guns the new Alpha had dropped on his initial trip into Atlanta. They had also managed to kidnap Glenn, so they really had no choice but to negotiate. It was tedious and more than a little frustrating, but things were eventually smoothed out.  
  
It was dark by the time they made it back to camp; dark, and crawling with walkers. It had Merle's fingerprints all over it and Daryl couldn't help feeling a prickle of pride for his Alpha, but there was also a fair bit of fear that always came with facing walkers. He had helped take down the walkers, helped burn the bodies and bury the living, shoving aside his own emotions until it was safe to deal with them. Glenn had pulled him aside once to warn him that Shane would probably want to mark him and the implications of what that could mean for the Omega.  
  
 _"Ain't gonna let 'im mark me."  
  
"You might not have a choice, Daryl. Shane's been after you since you and Merle got here and now that your brother isn't here...well, the prospect isn't a good one."  
  
Daryl scowled into the distance. "What 'bout one o' you?"  
  
Glenn blinked at him. "What d'you mean?"  
  
Daryl brought a thumb up to his lips, chewing at the nail. "Yer an Alpha, ain't ya? Along with that other one, Rick, or whatever his name is."  
  
"Neither of us are Pack Alpha, and I doubt Shane would be happy with someone else claiming you."  
  
"Ain't his decision to make. Ain't anybody's, but m'own."  
  
"If only everyone believed that."  
  
Daryl hummed, still chewing on his nail. The anxiety and fear coming off of Daryl was palpable and Glenn had to breathe for a minute, marshaling his thoughts and trying to exude calm, if only for the Omega's sake.  
  
"If someone else were to mark you, who would you want it to be?"  
  
Daryl glanced at Glenn before looking back at the tree line. "Prob'ly the Sheriff. Ain't anythin' against ya, but they know each other. Seems more like Shane'd listen to Rick more'n you."  
  
Glenn shrugged, knowing it was true. "You want me to go get him? Get this over with before Shane finds you?"  
  
Daryl nodded mutely and watched Glenn leave. It only took a few minutes for Glenn to return with Rick in tow, the older Alpha's brow furrowed in confusion. He stopped and turned to Glenn.  
  
"Why'd you bring me here?"  
  
"Got a big of a problem with yer friend thinkin' he's got any kinda claim on me."  
  
Rick looked at Daryl, head tilted. "He's Pack Alpha. He has more right than anyone else."  
  
Daryl's lip curled. "He ain't got any right, Pack Alpha or not."  
  
Rick tilted his head side to side. "Fair enough, but I'm still not sure why I'm here and he's not."  
  
Glenn jumped in then, face a little pale. "Shane's got some seriously outdated ideas about Daryl and he's more than willing to do it all by force if Daryl refuses." He saw Daryl's face pale, a cloying scent of fear-rage-nausea coming from him and Glenn swallowed before continuing. "Figure if someone else claims him, he'll be safe...more or less."  
  
Rick shrugged. "It might, it might not, but it's worth a shot." He looked at Daryl. "Are you alright with this?"  
  
Daryl swallowed. "Gonna hafta to to be. Ain't got much of a choice otherwise."  
  
Rick sighed, but nodded. He cautiously stepped into Daryl's space, lips quirking when Daryl let out a small warning sound. He brought a hand up and cupped Daryl's cheek, tilting his head to the side in invitation. Daryl flinched, breath stuttering when the smell of the Alpha hit him. He leaned forward and breathed deep, inhaling the Alpha's gunsmoke-rich scent. He leaned forward more, his nose bumping the Alpha's neck and he startled, flinching back and mumbling an apology. Rick just laughed lightly and gently pressed against the Omega's neck with his hand. He started rumbling softly and Daryl rumbled back, letting himself lean into Rick and nosing at the Alpha's neck, inhaling deeply and sighing softly. It was a little intoxicating and Daryl felt a bit like he was floating as he brought his cheek to the Alpha's and rubbed much like a cat would, his rumbles turning to contented purring. He heard the Alpha's breath hitch and the hand on his neck tightened fractionally before relaxing and reaching up to cup the back of his head, fingernails lightly scratching his scalp. The Omega knew he probably smelled like a damn candy shop, was probably attracting people and walkers alike, and he should also probably feel embarrassed and humiliated; he would, most definitely, but later. Right now, he just wanted to soak in the feel and smell of his Alpha, content in the knowledge that the other Alpha was keeping watch._  
  
They had eventually attracted attention. Shane had come marching up, all misplaced righteous fury, the majority of the Pack following behind him. He had gotten in Rick's face and started shouting, wanting to know why he thought he had any claim to Daryl. Rick had calmly told Shane that he heard about what he had planned for Daryl, found it far too old fashioned, and so decided he should do something about it. He had emphasized greatly that it had been Daryl's decision in the end and refused to hear any of Shane's arguments to the contrary. Shane, realizing he wouldn't get anywhere with Rick, turned his attention to Glenn, and started shouting at him. Glenn had shrunk back, face ashen and hardly saying a word while Shane tore into him. Daryl, still floating on Pack Bond endorphins and feeling oddly protective of the younger Alpha, had gotten in between Shane and Glenn and basically told Shane to fuck off. Shane had tried putting up a fight, even going so far as to try and force Daryl to submit and failing, but finally conceded with a ragged huffing sound. He had gotten up close with Daryl and looked the Omega up and down with an unsettling gleam in his eye.  
  
 _"One of these days Rick won't be there to protect you and I'll be waiting for it. You're mine, Omega. Don't you forget that."_  
  
He'd spun and stalked down back to camp, rumbling unhappily the whole way. Daryl had inhaled shakily and looked around at the people assembled, suddenly overcome with embarrassment. He had wrapped his emotions up in anger, made an unsavory comment or two, and stomped off into the woods to try and process what had happened.  
  
~  
  
The CDC had seemed like a good idea at first, but it had been a disaster in more ways than one. It had been good to sleep on something other than a car seat and to indulge in the hot shower, but Daryl had stupidly let his guard down a little and paid the price. Shane had quietly forced his way into Daryl's quarters late in the night when most had gone to bed and took what he wanted from the Omega.  
  
 _"This is your place in the world, Daryl. Bottom of the fucking food chain. You're only use is to be fucked and filled with pups. My pups." Shane looked positively gleeful then and leaned down, rumbling in satisfaction when Daryl flinched back. "Can't wait to see that happen."_  
  
Daryl had lashed out, all fear and anxiety about the what if's, about the possibility that it could, and probably will, happen. Shane had howled and jerked away, holding a hand to the scratches marring his neck. He took his hand away to look for blood and snarled at Daryl, lurching forward and landed a solid punch to Daryl's cheek. He had spit on the Omega's face, called him a few unsavory names while zipping himself back up, and left the room. Daryl flinched when the door slammed and scrambled up as soon as he knew his legs would hold him, staggering to the bathroom and into the shower. He turned the water as hot as he was able and collapsed onto the tiles, hardly caring if anyone heard him when he started crying. Glenn had eventually found him, yawning and sleepily rubbing at his eyes as he plopped himself down outside the shower. He had told Daryl that it wasn't his fault, that Rick would understand and likely go after Shane before ever thinking about going after the Omega, and that whatever happened, he'd have Glenn and Rick on his side; Carol, Dale, and T-Dog, too, probably.  
  
 _"We've got your back, Daryl. Anyone else doesn't matter."_  
  
Daryl hadn't believed him then and still didn't the following morning when Glenn confronted Shane in front of everyone. Shane had tried to deny it, had tried turning it into something that was entirely the Omega's fault, but the only ones that believed him were Lori and Andrea. The scratches on his neck and the bruises blossoming on Daryl's skin were pretty damning on their own. Dale had looked at Shane in undisguised horror and only asked a simple question: why?  
  
 _"Bitch had it coming, didn't he? Fuckin' walkin' around like he owns the damn place and letting himself be claimed by someone else." He glared around the room, as if daring someone to contradict him. "Fuckin' mating mark didn't take, but I bet other things did." He grinned, licking his lips and practically oozing satisfaction._  
  
Things had dissolved from there. Accusations were thrown around and tensions boiled over, resulting in at least one fist fight. It all got worse when it was revealed that the building was set to blow in half an hour. They'd shouted and argued about it and were finally released after Rick had threatened the scientist into letting them go. They had gotten out in time to see the building light up, watching the flames reach high into the sky before turning around and retracing their steps in the hopes of finding something else. Something better.


End file.
